Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-11-02
ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.
Some Points and Incidents Regarding the
Trade In Them.

Some Points and Incidents Regarding the
Trade In Them.
81 wouldn't exactly say" remarked
manufacturer, "that people can get
along as well with artificial limbs as
they can with artificial teeth. but the
art of industry is fast approaching that
stage of perfection. Men and women
can eat and drink, play the violin,
write, and do various kinds of light
wor. with artificial arms and hands,
and they can dance, skate and run
with artificial legs.
"The proportion of those whose mis-.
fortunes require the use of artificial
limbs is about one in $4,000 Of the pop.
ulation. or these, from twenty-five to
thirty per cent. are women. OF the
limbs lost, the legs are in the large ma.
jority-about seventy-fivc per cent.
"A great many are under the impress
sion that the war made most of the
cripples now living. The fact is that
for one person who lost a limb in the
war, twenty to twenty-four lost theirs
through some accident on the railways,
or in some other manner entirely dis
connected from warfare. The railroad
is the great source of our business,
probably one-half the cases that como
to us being attributable to railway &C
cidents."
IL suppose" said the reporter, ''that
you mcc5 with some queer incidents in
the course of your businessP"
yes, l remember customer coming
to me not long ago for his second arti-
fetal leg. He had worn the first for
number Of years. He said he was in
much trouble of mind. He was going
to get married, and had been counting
his intended for year and half. and
she did not know but that he was en-
tirely sound. The question in his mind
was whether to tell her before, or wait
until after marriage. I advised him to
inform her beforehand, as otherwise
she might have legal ground to apply
for an annulment of the marriage on
the ground of deception. He told me
afterward that he followed my adj
vice, and the lady concluded that she
loved him none the less on account
of his misfortune. Another singular
incident, but of q different character,
was in connection with the collision
of two steamers, one Of which had just
started from this port for Europe. and
had TO put back again on account of
the damage. None of the passengers
were injured by the accident. and q
friend jokngly remarked in my pres
ence that would, no doubt. be greatly
that there was no loss Of
limb, as / would therefore get no
revenue from the occurrence. Strangely
enough, the day following man from
Ohio walked into my Office and said
that he wanted an artificial leg He
related that he had been a passenger
on the steamer which had to put back
OIL account of the collision, having
started from his home in Ohio to pay
q visit to Europe. When the vessel re-
turned TO port he concluded, on rehec-
ton, to give up his European trip and
to expend the money he had reserved
for the trip in providing himself with a
new artificial leg in place of. the one
which he then wore. So 1t seems that
the collision of those two steamers
brought business after ALL"
"Who supply limbs for the soldiersp"
"Thc business is distributed among
different manufactures, nearly, II not,
all in the large cities of the Atlantic
coast. No Union soldier who has lost
q limb in the war need be without an
one. Northern manufacturers
also supply a good many artificial limbs
TO Confederate veterans, on the orders
Of States of the South that have made
provision for the MANNED of the Lost
Cause; but great many Of the South
ern veterans are unprovidcd, for the |
reason that the appropriations for their
relief are not sufficiently frequent and
adequate.
"Of private cases, do the greater
number come from the city or coun.
tryp"
IL think the danger Of city and coun-
try lite are about even, so far as the
artifi ,ial limb trade is an indicator.
The moving machine is fair set-of to
the horse cars. ~ y. Sun
"A Texan mt Throcknorton brought
nm editor two wildcats to be credited on
his subscription.